Technology making life easy behind the wheel

Ford's new Sync 3 infotainment system includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Handout, Ford

Cars that drive themselves are not the only tech advancement finding their way onto the road

by
Graeme Fletcher | February 20, 2016

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The Canadian International AutoShow plays host to one of Canada’s largest technology expositions. If it is available in any car, it is on display here. The list runs the gamut — from the latest safety technologies through to connectivity, it can be found at CIAS.

Not long ago there was the automobile and the smartphone. The two could be connected, but not in the most efficient or user-friendly manner. Now comes the “smart car.” The introduction of apps like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integrate the smartphone into the car in such a seamless manner that a tech neophyte can use the systems like a pro. Many of the cars on display have the ability to use either of these systems. In both cases, anything that can be done on a smartphone can be accomplished on the car’s head unit when the two are hard-wired and paired — the in-car touchscreen displays a mirror image of the phone’s screen, making things very easy to use. Placing calls, getting directions, receiving and sending texts or emails and accessing music stored on the phone is now just a touch of an icon, hard button or voice command away.

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The third alternative is an application being developed as a rival to the Apple and Google systems. SmartDeviceLink (SDL) is behind Ford’s Sync 3 in-car infotainment system. So far, Toyota has signed on to use it, while Honda, Mazda and Subaru are considering the system. What you have here is the genesis of the battle to control the car’s dashboard and how the driver and/or riders interact with the car and the outside world. It promises to be an interesting struggle that will, with any luck, see a uniform platform adopted across the entire automotive spectrum — from an Aston Martin to a custom-built Zagato, all vehicles will have commonality.

One way millennials are influencing automakers is with their demand for more technology, such as smartphone-based infotainment systems like Apple CarPlay

Many manufacturers have already developed specialty apps — these do everything from allowing the car to be remotely started, located in a parking garage or delivering Internet connectivity. For the electric vehicle owner, apps also allow the driver to initiate vehicle charging and precondition the cabin using grid electricity; this is a side of the business Apple and Google do not yet offer.

General Motors has taken a slightly different approach by adding 4G LTE connectivity to OnStar in a growing number of its cars, trucks and SUVs. The RemoteLink app not only controls connectivity, it looks after everything from navigation services to displaying the tire pressures or fuel level. There is a cost associated with most of these apps, but generally the fees are competitive.

An emerging technology that will be available at a dealer near you soon (the date varies by manufacturer) is the autonomous car. All of the technology needed to allow the car to be piloted without driver intervention is already available, and the technology at play is finally starting to trickle down to everyday rides. To be a self-driving car, all a vehicle needs is control over three basic functions — the ability to accelerate, brake and steer.

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The acceleration and braking aspects are taken care of by the smart cruise control system that is making major inroads. Using radar technology, the cruise control not only maintains the desired speed, it keeps a driver-adjustable distance between the smart car and the vehicle ahead. Whatever happens in front, the smart car mirrors; if the vehicle ahead slows or comes to a stop, the smart car does the same. When the vehicle ahead moves off, so does the smart car, and on it goes. At first, it takes a massive leap of faith to trust the car — will it actually stop when needed? But it is a function that is quickly being taken for granted.

Add the latest forward collision avoidance systems to the smart car, and it does everything except steer. Forward collision avoidance has the ability to not only recognize other vehicles, but also cyclists and pedestrians. Should the system detect a potential crash, it warns the driver; if the driver does not initiate evasive action to avoid an impact, the car will come to a stop before the crunch occurs.

A Volvo autonomous driving car

The final part of the self-driving equation is the steering function — with more cars using electric assist, the car can now spin the wheel at will. This ability is found in technologies like lane keep assist; here, the vehicle actively steers the car to keep it within a defined lane. It uses a camera to “look” for the markings. At the affordable end is Acura’s ILX. Others, like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, can follow the road even as it twists and turns, and it can do so for several seconds. For now, however, the system does require the driver’s hands to be on the steering wheel. If the driver is taking five, the system gets annoyed and tells him or her to get a grip!

The use of self-steering is also found in the car’s ability to parallel or perpendicular park without driver assistance. Going one further is the BMW 7 Series; in Europe, it has the ability to drive into a garage or parking spot. Yes, the driver is overseeing things, but from outside the vehicle using the key fob.

The combination of sensors, cameras and radars give the modern car the ability to read and react to a changing environment, avoid an impact and keep the car pointed in the right direction. Throw in the ability for vehicles to communicate with each other and the infrastructure (both systems are being developed and tested in various parts of the world today), and the morning commute is destined to become an extension of the workday. Now, I’m not sure if I am ready for that one!